Intertextuality

Intertextuality is when a film has taken some elements and ideas from a pre-existing film. Theres one particular film in which many other films have borrowed the elements in the film, Psycho, in particular the shower scene. This scene is very successful in building up tension, its so good that it leaves a lasting impact on the audience. The scene shows a woman doing some maths at first then getting into the shower, the editing at this point represents how calm the situation is as everything is smooth. There are many shots to show that nothing special is going to happen. However the sound of the water suggests otherwise, it slowly builds tension up and the tension levels almost hit the roof when we can see the mysterious figure. Then Theres the sudden impact of the figure with the butcher knife stabbing the life out of the lady and there's blood splattering all over the white tiles and the music emphasises on each stab. Then we see the lady sliding against the tiles and the water going down the drain suggests that her life is going down the drain as well.

Many aspects from this one scene  such as mise-en scene and shot angles have been borrowed in a numerous amount of films. For example in The Stepfather (2009), in the final fight scene, the wife stabs the stepfather in the neck and he lands in to a bathtub dragging the shower curtain along with him and sliding down the wall staining the white tiles as he goes down. This is a direct reference to the famous shower scene in Psycho, where someone is stabbed (not in the neck) and the shower curtian comes off and the white tiles are stained with blood.

Another scene which "borrows" certain aspects from the shower scene of Psycho is from Fatal Attraction, where there is a scuffle in bathroom between 2 women and later on a woman and a man. A butcher knife is used quite alot, an obvious reference to Psycho, similar shot types are used such as the over the shoulder shot during the stabbing. The scuffle is in a bathroom, there are white tiles which soon become bloodstained, another reference to Psycho. And during all this, water from the shower can be heard throughout, another direct reference to Psycho.

The Stepfather also borrows some aspects from Fatal Attraction such as the part when person runs up the stairs and the mirror being smashed.
Learning about Intertextuality has taught me that it can be used to inspire a film maker and stuff can be borrowed and in some cases when its borrowed it can  be adapted and improved. I think this will help during our thriller and i hope to make a direct reference to Psycho by including the  knife at some point during our opening.